Falling Down The Rabbit Hole
by TheoristEagle
Summary: A tale where a muggleborn proves her merit, where she doesn't abide by the cliches rather changes the rules of the game. Can Hermione, the Golden Girl pull one over a very young Lord of the Serpents?
1. Time and Space

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters no matter how much I wish I owned Draco or rather was owned by him ;)...Moving on. After pouring through several stories I have decided to venture in Tomione. It is a serious story. It disregards the epilogue and starts from where the war ends. Reviews are much appreciated...

I have made some changes. The previous version Hermione felt very mushy, also I didn't want her to trust Dumbledore. Please take a minute to re-read this before you venture further. Also anyone interested to be a beta?

" _The thing that was hidden in the snitch," he began, "I dropped it in the forest. I don't know exactly where, but I'm not going to go looking for it again. Do you agree?"_

" _My dear boy, I do" said Dumbledore, while his fellow pictures looked confused and curious. "A wise and courageous decision, but no less than I would have expected of you. Does anyone else know where it fell?"_

" _No one," said Harry and Dumbledore nodded his satisfaction. (Page 846, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)_

Hermione listened to the conversation with a mounting sense of dread and spoke up, "Harry...Professor...I don't think that's a good idea. In the wrong hands, it might prove to be dangerous. You don't want Voldemort to find some twisted way to torture us from beyond the grave if the stone is found by his followers."

Ron chuckled quietly and said, "Hermione, we just won the war. Can you at least not think of the next doomsday for 2 hours?"

Hermione gave him a scathing look, "I don't expect you to understand the gravity of the situation Ron, but it is integral that we stop something before it can start. If death eaters start regrouping citing the orders of Voldemort from the stone, do you want another war? Haven't we lost enough to become proactive. Besides death eaters may have apparated out being the cowards that they are, but their spawns are still roaming around."

Ron flushed red while Harry replied, "Hermione, no one knows where it fell. Besides I doubt that anyone would know what it is even if they found it. Besides I don't want to keep it as it's sure a down trodden path to temptations which lead to self-destruction." He was vividly able to recall meeting his mother and Marauders few hours ago, and the urge to apologize to each one of them over and over again was overwhelming.

Hermione shuffled and winged her hands agitatedly and looked up to find Professor Dumbledore peering at her curiously over his half-moon spectacles. He asked, "Ms. Granger, what is it that still plagues you? Your opinions matter a lot."

Hermione looked up at him and paused before speaking. Had Dumbledore spoken these words a year ago, she would have been flattered and blushed at being recognized, but now she regarded him as a person who had made grave errors in his life and left teenagers with half-information to fight the war, all for the "greater good". She hadn't shared her thoughts with Harry or Ron, for she was not sure they would share her sentiments, but with time she had come to resent Dumbledore more and more.

She looked at Harry and continued, "The artifact is not only one of the three most potent magical creations rumored to beat death, but it has also been passed on through generations in the family of one of the founders. The magic it contains must be potent enough to not get destroyed with the destruction of a Horcrux. Also, do you have any idea, the number of magical imprints it might carry of all the wearers? If you were able to use it in its broken state, then do you really think such an object would lie somewhere hidden among mud and pebbles in the dingy corner of a forest?"

Harry and Ron both looked uneasy and thoughtful.

Hermione carried on, "It will be a siren's call for rescue, and just as people sought the Elder wand, they will be attracted towards it. We need to find it and safeguard it in a place where no one else can access it or destroy it if you please. We don't need to use it but imagine if it falls in the hand of any person with a misguided notion who wants to continue Voldemort's work and decides to conjure up him or any of the followers."

"I agree", Ron spoke up, "we need to at least pick it up and keep it somewhere safe."

Hermione looked at him and when their eyes met, Ron looked down blushing. Hermione felt strange standing there thinking back to sometime ago, when they kissed. She felt unsure of her feelings but decided to ponder upon them later, after taking care of immediate problems in hand.

Harry ran a hand through his mussed-up hair and concurred, "I agree with you Hermione. Although I don't think anyone will recognize it when they see it, we cannot be 100% sure. Let's go search for it."

Hermione turned to Harry and said, "Harry, you should stay here and decide on what you want to do with the wand. I know you will be sentimental, but I want to you to think with a clear head about the power you are wielding and its ramifications before you do anything foolhardy. Ron and I will go look for it, if you can tell us the tentative directions."

Harry cracked a smile and nodded his head. He gave them the exact spot he had last discarded it. They left him there to consult with both the previous headmasters and started walking down the stairs.

As they passed outside the Great Hall, they could still hear the jubilation. Hermione albeit happy at the outcome, felt a heaviness settle in her bones. The taste of all the lives lost was still lingering in the hair. The metallic smell of blood she still teasing them, while around them the ground was red. While Ron walked unsteadily, with the recent loss of Fred weighing him down, Hermione walked with a purposeful stride, just as she had led the Horcrux hunt.

They reached the edge of the forest, the direction where Harry had pointed.

"Accio Resurrection Stone!", Ron tried with his wand. Nothing happened. He looked at Hermione's raised eyebrows and shrugged, "it was worth a try." She smiled at his idiocy as they lit their wands and started searching the grounds.

As they ventured into the deeper part, Ron called out suddenly, "Hermione! Look there," and started sprinting towards the direction he pointed. She looked up and saw a bright light which cast a reddish hue and immediately followed Ron. As they neared a clearing, they came across a ghastly sight. There at the edge lay the stone surrounded by blood which was highlighted in the unearthly light it was shedding. And in the light, they saw a hand marred by the dark mark holding a wand vanishing within the stone. Without a second's thought, Hermione cried out, "Expelliarmus" and the wand flew to her hand. The hand which almost vanished was glowing in a contrasting green, as it got completely sucked in by the stone. The light dimmed all of a sudden and all that was left was the broken stone.

"What was that? We need to take it to Harry immediately. Maybe Dumbledore can help us," cried out Ron. He ran towards the stone. Hermione who was rooted to the spot but as saw Ron bending down to pick up the stone she came out of her stupor and shouted, "Ron, don't touch it!"

Ron looked up at her while she joined him. He was visibly shaking with the thought of the next doom awaiting them, while she too had fear and uncertainty written all over her face.

She told him, "We don't know what happened. What if you too get sucked in if you touch it? We need to think clearly. The war is over. Voldemort is dead. There is nothing to panic. This is something else. I am sure between Dumbledore and Snape, they will be able to help us out and explain this." She felt that her words were hallow as she didn't trust either of her Professors, but Ron seemed to relax a little.

Hermione started levitating the stone and they head back to the castle. They slipped in through the gates and immediately sprinted towards the stairs and reached the headmaster's office. They came running into the office with the stone flying in front of them and found Harry standing there with his own wand, while the elder wand was lying on the table.

He turned towards them, smiled and said, "I repaired my wand. I am going to place the elder wand in Dumbledore's tomb again." He noticed their faces and spoke up, "What happened? What's wrong?"

Hermione looked at Ron and towards Harry, speaking with a tremble in her voice, "We found it surrounded by blood. It was emitting an unnatural light and we just saw the hand of a death eater vanishing. And then it just stopped. I don't know how is this possible. It's a resurrection stone which can call the soul of a person, not a portal."

Harry's eyes widened, and he too helplessly looked at Dumbledore, who was staring at it pensively. Hermione levitated the stone towards the table and placed it next to the wand there. She placed the wand she had acquired from the hand next to it. All three of them wore a similar mask of worry as they looked at their professors for some advice as to what happened.

Dumbledore spoke up slowly, "I can't really help you as this is the first time I am hearing of this. The stone has no malicious properties. It must have been enchanted with another spell that is strong enough to mix its magic with that of the stone's."

Suddenly the stone started vibrating and started emitting a similar red light. Ron was rooted to the spot behind Hermione, while Harry was transfixed at its sight. An unearthly eerie music poured out from the stone. Harry moved towards it with outstretched hands as if in a trance. Hermione saw his face and cried out, "Harry, stop! Don't touch it!" She saw in vain as her words didn't register with Harry, who possessed a blank look on his face. She turned towards Ron, who immediately came up and held Harry tightly from behind. Harry started struggling to be let free with hands still outstretched. The stone's vibrations intensified, and it suddenly leapt up in the air and flew towards Harry's hands. Just as it was about to reach his hands, Hermione caught hold of it. She cried out in pain and clutched her right hand. There was a blinding pain as if something was being burned into her and then suddenly the pain stopped. She opened her palms and found that she could not remove the stone from her hand as if it was stuck there. Surrounding the stone, a circular brand was etched into her skin and it read, " _ **Plexus magicae apud tempus et locus autem vincere**_ ".

Harry seemed to be coming back to his sense, as he shook his head and saw Hermione's hand. His momentary confusion turned to full-blown panic and both Ron and Harry tried to pry the stone out of her hand.

"Don't worry Hermione, we will get you out of this," shouted Harry to a dumbstruck Hermione, who got the feeling that a paramount shift was about to happen. She realized that their efforts were futile as the stone was stuck to her palm and had started glowing again.

Ron cried out, "Hermione!", while staring at her feet. As she looked down she could see her feet vanishing into air like ashes flowing away. With panic-stricken eyes she looked up and met Dumbledore's eyes and an unsaid understanding passed between them.

Harry looked up and snarled, "Hermione please say something. How can we stop this? Try something."

Ron was clutching at her hands tightly as if that would hold her back.

Curbing her fears, she told them calmly, "We don't have much time Harry. This magic is tempered to mate with time and space. I don't know for sure, but it seems I will be following our death eater friend. I will find him, and I will find my way back. I promise."

Ron turned towards her and was in her face, "Hermione no! You are not going anywhere. Why did you have to touch it! Please!" She turned towards Harry, who had a broken look in his face. She had to assure him before time ran out.

She said, "Harry, don't beat yourself over this. Listen to me carefully. I will find my way back. I know you both won't rest till you find a way to bring me back. The Latin words translate to 'Interwoven Magic with Time and Space will Conquer'."

Harry looked at her resolutely. Her lower half had already vanished. He quickly took out his invisibility cloak and thrust it into her outstretched hands. He spoke with determination, "Wherever you are, you stay alive. No need to go after anyone. We will come get you."

Hermione looked down at her hands which started fading and she felt an intense pain shooting within her. It started intensifying so much till she could feel nothing but the pain. Her last look before her eyes were shut with darkness was a panicked Ron who was helplessly trying to stop her and Harry whose desperation marred his entire feature.

She tightly closed her eyes and let the pain and darkness consume her. She again heard the eerie music from a distance. It increased in intensity till she felt that the voice was coming from within her. She could feel her entire being vibrating with every cell undergoing a temporal transformation. She felt a pain worse than the Cruciatus. Soon the music and the pain reached its peak and she cried out noiselessly. As suddenly as it began, it stopped, and she was thrown on the hardwood floor.

Her entire being was paining and she could feel her heart flutter against her chest in a mad tandem. Somewhere far off she registered footsteps nearing, but she could not open her eyes. She felt a soft material in her hands, and recalled Harry thrusting the invisibility cloak at her.

She felt for her beaded bag hooked to her belt, a safety measure she had undertaken during their travels. She quickly draped the invisibility cloak over herself and rolled towards a chair. She heard the sound of a door being opened and saw the shuffling of feet in her periphery as she slowly opened her eyes.

A potbellied man scuffled in tightening his night coat around his waist. He held his wand aloft and looked around. Hermione had no clue whether he was a friend or foe but looking around she realized she was still in the headmaster's office. If she had any qualms regarding the 'travel through time and space' part, looking at the pristine condition of the office, much different than what she saw minutes ago, cleared any such notion.

"Must be someone trying to get through the floo…why can't they let us be to sleep…stupid wards going off at ungodly hours. I am doing Pringle's duties…," the man muttered to himself.

Hermione surmised he must be the current headmaster, but she didn't wait to find around more lest she find herself locked here. When the man was bent over checking the fireplace, she wobbled pass him, trying to make as little noise as possible, despite the pain shooting through her limbs.

She slipped out of the door and started making her way to the seventh floor. Despite the physical pain and the mental upheaval looking at everything intact, she didn't stop till reached the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. She did a double take once she stood in front of the wall. This was were she almost lost her life few hours ago. The fiendfyre had almost crashed in on the trio as they looked for Ravenclaw's diadem.

She could feel herself heaving and sweating. As she felt darkness edge her way, she mustered all her strength and walked past the stretch of wall three times asking for cozy place to rest and recuperate with access to books and latest news. She was not sure if the room could provide that but she was willing to take her chances.

A door appeared, and she entered what appeared to be a replica of Gryffindor common room. She wondered if the magic of the room could understand the essence of a person and bring forth their wishes suitably. She swiftly locked it while a hint of a smile ghosted on her lips, due to the overt familiarity and feeling of 'home'.

In front of the warm fire, she found a huge couch stuffed with pillows and a warm comforter. There was a table in front of it where she placed her cloak and bag. Only then she realized she didn't have the stone with me. She couldn't recall ever having the stone in her hands since she woke up. She surmised just as the previous time, the stone stayed backed after gobbling her self for her friends to figure out the mystery.

The weariness caught up with and she was about to collapse on the couch when she noticed the Daily Prophet placed at the side table.

A part of her was highly sceptical trying to delay the inevitable, what is one evening of rest going to cause, when every was messed up already. She still steeled herself and picked up the paper. Although staring at the news of an attack on a muggleborn family raised her hopes of being around the right time, they were quickly squashed as she saw the mention of Gillert Grindelwald.

She slowly brought her eyes up to the top edge of the page, gearing to see the date. Despite all the trials and tribulations, nothing could have prepared Hermione Granger to find herself at Hogwarts on _**August 4th, 1943.**_


	2. Baby steps

**I would urge all my old readers to re-read the 1** **st** **chapter, as I have made some poignant changes. I felt I hadn't portrayed the head-strong girl I wanted to and re-wrote a couple of things. Constructive criticism most welcome. I will try to be more swift with my updates. Life had got the better on me for a while but now I am trying to get one over it. Please enjoy.**

 **Please let me know if someone is interested to be a beta!**

Hermione woke to the dying embers of the fireplace. She drifted her eyes open and groaned when she felt the pain in her body. The remnants of physical exhaustion could be felt, proving to her that the entire time travelling was not just a horrid dream but a stark reality.

She slowly sat up and felt for her wand. She shot off a spell to rekindle the fire and fell back on the couch. Now all she had to do was think through the situation.

All thoughts started clouding her head, with regards to the time and place she found herself in. Overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of them, she got up and took a diary from her bag, where she had jotted down endless thoughts and ideas during their Horcrux hunt.

She pulled up a pen, sometimes muggle devices beat the magic world in sensibility. She started penning down her predicament and finding ways to get over them. She wrote:

 _August 5_ _th_ _, 1943_

 _Well, here I am, in the past. Didn't think I was ever going to say that but then anything can happen when you are dealing with the myriad forms of magic. I am not sure, but something seems very disturbing about this date. Something that I should know of, but I am missing out. At least the date tells me there are no students around, hence leaving me free to venture and explore while I am here._

 _As of now, I need a plan of action. First, the spell that sent me back here needs to be analysed. My palm doesn't have the sigil anymore, but it spoke of travel through space and time. It probably indicates that I have not only travelled to the past, but I might have even travelled to another dimension or parallel universe. Most probably this was Voldemort's backup plan to get one of his trusted death-eaters to get a young Tom back to our own universe and probably resurrect his soul in his young body? This is all just a speculation of course._

 _Also, where might Voldemort be? Or is it Tom Riddle as of now? This is the time frame when he was studying in Hogwarts. If I refer to the time frame, Harry provided of the events in the chamber and through Dumbledore's memories, Tom Riddle must have started out in 1938, which means he will return to finish his sixth year. The chamber was opened in June, 1943 so Myrtle would have already died. Currently he must have already formed his Knight of Walpurgis among the Slytherin pureblood fanatics._

 _But why this time? There must be some significance. And the person who used the stone to open this portal, was he aware of its properties as a hallow or simply used it as remnant of a Horcrux with some lingering magical essence? Voldemort has not made any horcruxes because he is yet to have the conversation with Slughorn in his sixth year, for which he will return in a month. At the back of my mind, something is nagging me, like something seems off. Something is important about this time frame which I am not able to pinpoint. What happened? I need to go through my notes of Dumbledore's lectures to find anything that can help me._

 _As for the Deathly Hallows, Grindelwald's reign of terror persists, which means that Dumbledore is yet to vanquish him and get hold of Elder Wand. I have the invisibility cloak from a different future, hence the original cloak of this time must be with the Potter family. The ring is with the Gaunts I suppose. That brings me back to square one. I have no idea why I have landed in this time._

 _The magic tried to pull Harry in particularly. I simply stopped that action from occurring. Even Ron was not entranced, but only Harry. What could have been the reason? Was it because he too had held a piece of Voldemort's soul within him? Too many questions and too few answers. Currently I need nourishment and some healing spells. I very well can't go to the kitchen, so I must find a way to Hogsmeade and think of the next activity. I suppose I should apply glamour charms in case the death eater who found his way back here, identifies me. I need to mix with the people of this time so that nobody doubts me. Good thing, Harry carried loads of money in my bag, I am sure he wouldn't mine if I use them to stay alive, after all I did save his life countless times._

 _Ah, I miss them. I miss Harry particularly after spending every day in close quarters with him. With Ron, I am not so sure. We kissed, and while that was bound to happen in the heat of the moment, I didn't feel much. I guess that is the least of the concerns here._

 _I would like to see if I can access the library or if it remains closed till the start of the year. Much to think and too little time._

She closed the diary with a more cluttered mind than she began. But she at least had a vague plan of sorts in place.

She transfigured her jeans and shirt to a modest skirt and blouse that seemed to belong in the past. She wasn't sure if she got it right, but she figured she can cover it with a wizard's cloak that must be common. Fashion in wizarding world didn't change much after all.

Hermione picked up her beaded bag, and looked around the room, not sure as to when she would return. She conjured a mirror and started applying some glamour charms to herself. Although she never bothered much over beautification charms, while on the run, she had picked up details to modify certain features so as to be anonymous. She decided to use a variation of the stinging hex, so now her nose was twice bigger with a square jaw. Her eyes turned to an unremarkable shade of brown and eyebrows turned bushier. She made her hair turn to a dirty blonde colour and accessed herself.

A completely unremarkable women stared back at her, and it was difficult to tie this face to her normal appearance. She also applied certain 'notice-me-not' and repulsion charms, so she can approach people at her own terms instead of someone approaching her.

She pulled the invisibility cloak around her and walked out. Once she reached the library doors, she realized they were closed, and no unlocking spells would work. She could have tried some advanced spells, based on the books she had with her, but she had other priorities. She turned back and instead of trekking through the ground to Hogsmeade, she decided to take the shortcut to Honeydukes, which Harry had used in his third year.

She came out at the cellar of Honeydukes, and due to her cloak as well as the spells, no one noticed her. She came up and saw very few customers hovering near the counters. The witch behind the sweets counter was almost dozing off.

She went off behind a tall shelf and took off her cloak and packed it in her beaded bag. She walked out of Honeydukes and nobody even looked at her. She allowed herself a smile, as she started walking towards Hog's head as she wanted to stay inconspicuous and what better way to do that than sliding into the dark corners of a dingy pub. Besides there was a high possibility that the death eater might have also preferred that location over the friendlier places.

She stepped into Hog's head, and to her delight there was no one there except for the barkeeper who was wiping his glasses with a scowl in his face. He seemed to be the predecessor of Aberforth Dumbledore. She wondered when would Aberforth purchase the inn. He didn't look up at her till she called him. His scowl remained in place as she asked for a sandwich and a shot of firewhiskey.

Hermione took the glass of firewhiskey that he had placed in front of her and gulped it one go. She surmised after everything, drinking early in the morning was least of her concerns. She quickly ate the soggy sandwich that was provided and asked for another. The barkeeper's scowl deepened, and he shuffled inside. She looked at the pub and felt her surrounding pressing around her. For the first time, the gravity of her situation started weighing in on her, and she started hyper-ventilating. She shot back another glass of whiskey and calmed her nerves.

She needed a clear head to plan things out. She couldn't afford to lose focus now. Neither was she overtly emotional and self-sacrificing as Harry now was she hot-headed as Ron. She was the brain of the trio and the one who acted with patience. She would not allow the situation to deter her and would find her way back home in one piece. Maybe she should study dentistry and move in to the family business, giving the entire magical world a wide berth for a prolonged period. She had to go back so she could find her parents and reverse their memories. She saw the barkeeper getting busy with his glasses again and broached a conversation.

"You don't get many customers around this time it seems," she commented lightly.

He looked up at and growled out, "Bloody holidays, not many students to get pissed out. Two customers in 3 days."

She had a suspicion as to who the other person might be and made a note to study legillimency particularly for such situations. During her run, she had studied occulumency as a precaution, although she was never successful in getting Harry to do the same, despite explaining its importance. She already had procured the books regarding legillimency and would have started learning it if the war hadn't happened all of a sudden.

She started fishing, "Who might be this other person who lifted your spirits?"

His face turned into a snarl, but he chose to curtly reply, "Some haggard looking bloke as if a herd of hippogrifs had run over him. The usual rowdy kind."

Her best bet would be to get to know the identity of the person, so she could take precautionary measures against him and probably seek him out to fins a way back.

After the war, she did not have any restraints in using certain spells. After being under the effects of Cruciatus, she firmly believed that all is fair in love and war. Although she wouldn't cross the line to kill someone or torture them, most dark magic depended on the use of spells and not on the spell themselves. Imperiousing someone to do something against their will would be a crime whereas to probably save someone's life was not so much, although the life she was saving here would be her own.

When he turned to his glasses again, she bit in to her sandwich while muttering the imperious curse under her breath. His eyes turned glassy and he stopped his movements. She looked around to make sure they were alone and picked up an empty vial from behind the counter. She asked him to take out his memory of the person who came a day ago and pour it into it. He dutifully did so and went back to staring behind her head. She bottled the memory and safely tucked it into her bag and removed the spell.

He looked around for a minute and went back to wiping his glasses. She finished her sandwich, gave him the money and turned back. She waited for him to pocket the money and then she turned toward him and spoke, "Obliviate". She made sure to only obliviate his memory since he spoke with her. She turned on her heels and left the place quickly.

She realized she needed a safe space to live for the time being. She ducked into an alley, and apparated to Diagon Alley, to a corner behind Flourish Botts, where she and the boys used to often collude to talk without being overheard. Seeing other witches and wizards around mulling about their day to day lives, she didn't feel weird anymore. She looked at the attire of the witches and found that she had got the gist of it correct. Still she drastically needed to upgrade her wardrobe if she had any thoughts of fitting in.

She first decided to hit a clothing store that had several images of women twirling in their gregarious clothes on the window pane. By the time she left the store, she had made the witch who owned the store very happy and was down by 20 galleons. Since she didn't have a time frame, she purchased clothes that would last her over a year. Hermione was nothing if not well-prepared in advance.

She next decided to head to Flourish and Botts, to buy books that might help her with research till she was able to access the Hogwart's library. She went in and saw two wizards were busy clearing out aisles in the front, most probably to stock the texts that would be required for the next year.

A small stocky looking wizard bowed his head and greeted, "Welcome miss. Feel free to look through our collections. You have come at the right time. By this time next week, the whole place would be swarming with students struggling to get their hands on the texts."

She smiled at him and made her way to the back. After browsing through the whole lot of collection for over two hours, she could only find 3 books that dealt with inter-dimensional travel. Of course there were countless others which were nothing but fiction for all purposes. She also needed to upgrade her knowledge on dark arts and ways to combat them, if she had to be geared up to meet the Dark Lord in his young glory not to mention the unknown time-traveler. That reminded her, she needed to get a pensieve for the same.

She paid for those books and decided to find an accommodation before going around to find other things. Hermione knew that quite a few of the contents in her list might only be available in the less respectful areas around, such as the Knockturn alley.

Walking towards the Leaky Cauldron, she couldn't help but think of the last time she was here dressed as Bellatrix. Although it seemed like a long time ago, in reality it was just yesterday. Time, she surmised was a wonderful and ghastly thing. In two days, she had gone from imitating the cruelest witch of the time, to riding in the back of a dragon, to fighting the final battle to shopping for clothes in the 1940s. She realized the major reason why she was accepting the situation instead of going into full panic mode might be the adrenaline rush from the past few months and the war. Had some time passed and had she moved on in life and gained back normalcy, maybe this would have been a massive jolt. But now it felt like another challenge, one more place where she had to hide, one more horcrux that she had to hunt and one more place where she was in constant danger.

She went into Leaky and asked for a room. The wizard behind the counter had a washcloth on his shoulders and peered at her over his glasses. He was tall and had grey beard that almost reminded her Dumbledore. He gave her the keys and made the reservation for unforeseen number of days. She decided to take dinner before heading to her room to avoid any disturbance. She noticed very few tables were dotted with people and among the handful number of people available there, no one paid any heed to her. After dinner she made her way to her room.

It was a small lodging with a table and a cabinet beside it hoisting a night lamp. There was a wardrobe beside a small table set near the window. A chair was placed near it which she was sure was glued together with sheer magic and would break if someone sat on it.

She placed her bag and warded the door. Old habits die hard. She climbed on the bed and closed her eyes. She felt the day's events catching up to her and she welcomed them with the last coherent thought of red eyes and green eyes both trying to reach her.


	3. Learning some more

_She was running through the Forest of Dean as fast as her feet would carry her. Every so often, she peered behind her and she would find darkness racing towards her. She heard the sound of feet catching up to her and she started running faster. Her hands were empty, and she could not find her wand. Just as she saw a clearing ahead, she tripped on one of the enormous branches and fell face forward. She could feel the pain in her forehead where the thick roots had scratched her. She could also sense the darkness clouding around her. With her heart in her throat, she turned her head only to come across red eyes peering at her from the darkness. In the eyes she saw her own scarred reflection, with blood dripping from her forehead, where sat a scar, in the shape of a lightening bolt._

Hermione woke with a scream. She was sure, had she not applied any silencing spells the night before, probably the entire Diagon Alley would have heard her shriek.

She realized she was completely drenched in sweat while she checked the time. The ancient looking wall clock showed it was ten to 6. Hermione didn't think she could handle anymore dreams so she decided to get ready and have an early start.

After showering and making sure she resembled a middle-aged lady from the 40s, she walked out of her room. She had a quick breakfast at Leaky and headed to Diagon Alley. First, she decided to head to Knockturn Alley and peruse books that might be considered scandalous for normal stores. To her surprise, Knockturn Alley didn't have the foreboding tone from her time. She could mostly find only adults and no little ones, but apart from that there was no indication of it being shady. She surmised, maybe it was because of Voldemort's influence that the area became significant with dark things.

She walked past looking for a book store. In the first two book stores she went into, although she found rare books, none of them suited her purpose. After grabbing some books on Advanced potions and some that featured spells for subtle mind manipulation, she ventured further. After walking for a while, she came across a book store tucked into a dingy alleyway. Even from outside, it had a menacing aura to it. Finally, it seemed like a store which reflected the qualities of the Knockturn Alley that she had come to know in her time.

She pulled her cloak tighter around her and stepped into it. A bell rang as soon as she entered. She walked into a dark room filled with books cluttered in the shelves that lined up till the ceiling. Candles were placed around awkwardly throwing a dull gleam of light. She was reminded of the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library.

An old witch walked out of the backroom, carrying a jar full of what seemed to be leeches. Hermione really did not want to know its purpose. All her senses told her, that she should leave as soon as possible, but there was a part of her which knew that only here she would find what she was looking for.

The witch had a bit of maniacal gleam about her and smiled crookedly at Hermione. As the witch didn't address her further, Hermione decided to walk into the store and browse the books. She came across several titles of books that were so menacing that she knew for sure this place was illegal. She peered through the gaps and saw a section along the wall were the books had gleaming eyes and fangs and were following her moments carefully. She turned and started looking for section on time travelling. She found books filled with dark magic talking about curses that can inflect much worse pain than probably even the cruciatus or the killing curse. Killing someone would seem almost a good thing in front of some of the tortures mentioned in the books dotted around here. She could also feel the eyes of the witch following her.

Towards the end of the aisle, behind books that provided perfect recipes for brewing most potent Amortentias, she found several books that dealt with inter-dimensional time travel. None of them were fluff books talking about made-up wishes of a wizard but rather carried information about advanced research undertaken by several people who didn't mind dealing in dark curses. She picked up a horde of books that she thought might help her and started looking around. There in the deepest darkest corners of the shelves she found a book sitting innocuously. Her breath hitched as she picked up a battered looking copy of, "Secrets of the darkest art". On a whim, she kept it in the pile of books she wanted to buy and headed to the checkout counter. The witch looked down at the books and picked up a parchment. As she came across the battered copy, she gave a crooked smile again to Hermione, flashing all her yellow and decayed teeth. To say Hermione was creeped out would be an understatement.

The witch laughed to herself as she wrote down the money in the parchment and turned it towards Hemione. Hermione assumed that either the witch was mute, or she didn't want to speak. She took out the money and kept it on the counter. She picked up the books and started heading out. Just as she was about to turn the handle, the witch spoke up in a raspy voice, "last owner of the copy died my dear. I hope his fate doesn't befall you."

Hermione looked back to see the same maniacal glow in the witch's eyes. She nodded her head and left the shop immediately. Only after putting some distance between the store and herself, did she allow herself to relax. She still was not sure, why she decided to impulsively buy that ghastly book, but her only reasoning was it might contain important clues as it was after all Voldemort's go to book.

She quickly purchased a small pensieve that can be carried along and finished her shopping spree for necessities. She returned to Leaky and made her way to her room. She hung a sign, so nobody could disturb her and started going about her planning.

Although she was eager to look into the pensieve, she was also apprehensive about what she would find in there. She was trying to keep her emotions and panic at bay and focussing on the task of getting back home, but at this moment, she felt if she witnessed another person from the same time that she was from, the enormity or the situation might swallow her up as whole.

She placed it in the middle of her bed but made no move to do anything else. She kept staring into the distance presumably lost in thought. After what seemed like an hour, she finally took out the memory from her beaded bag and poured it into it. Looking at the swirling mist in the basin, she mustered up the courage to dip her head into it. She felt herself falling into the memory and landed right next to the barkeeper who was wiping his glasses once again. The place looked exactly the same as it did yesterday. There were no patrons only the occasional mumblings from the barkeeper.

Suddenly, the door was thrown open sharply and a haggard looking man stepped inside. Hermione stopped breathing as she saw the Death Eater, she fought barely days ago, Rodolphus Lestrange, standing there. It was night time, and he asked for a place to stay the night. The barkeeper looked at his filthy and scraggy appearance before turning him down. She could see Rodolphus clench his fists, but he gave a firm nod, and asked for a drink. She gasped as the realization hit her, that she held his wand with her this minute.

The barkeeper poured fire whiskey in a glass and placed it in front of him with a disgruntled expression. She would have feared for the barkeeper's safety if not for the fact that Rodolphus didn't carry a wand with him and that she herself met the barkeeper a day later.

Rodolphus placed some knuts next to the glass and stomped out.

As the memory ended, Hermione was thrown out, and she rested her head on the pillow thinking of this new development. She couldn't help laughing, when she thought of how she currently held both Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange's wands with her. She sat up and brought out Rodolphus's wand out from where it lay completely forgotten in her beaded bag.

She tried out some basic levitation charms and realized that, Rodolphus's wand worked much better than Bellatrix's. This was possible because she had disarmed him, while she had acquired it herself in Bellatrix's case. She couldn't wait to get rid of the wand that had tortured Neville's parents and killed Sirius. But moving from one Death Eater's wand to another's was really not a smart move. She decided to buy a new wand from Ollivander. She kept aside the pensieve and started reading the tomes she had purchased.

By the time her stomach growled in hunger, she realized she had been reading and jotting down notes for almost five hours straight.

She didn't want to abandon her reading as she felt she was getting the hang of what might have happened. She went down quickly, ordered a plate of sandwiches, and brought them up to her room. She got back to her notes and started reading the book from where she left it.

After an hour or so, she realized that an advanced spell was placed which was most likely to be an one-way ticket. She still didn't understand the dynamics, but she did realise that as of now there was no research on two-way travelling. All reports indicated magic which could push a person through time but not bring them back. And she was yet to find concrete evidence about inter-dimensional travel, but she realized the books she was working were old, and Voldemort might have used advanced research which she would not be privy to for several years to come.

She felt like cursing herself into oblivion, so she didn't have to deal with everything all alone. As soon as the thought of Harry and Ron started creeping in, she pushed it back lest she started hosting her own pity-party, wasting precious moments.

Hermione realised her only scope was to corner Rodolphus and get the truth out of him. If he could tell what brought him here, she could find a way to travel back. But this was going to be extremely difficult, as not only did she not have a clue as to where he might be, even if he was found, he would never tell her anything. She realized with a sickening thought that probably torture might also not work on him as being the sadist and Voldmort's top notch Death Eater, he might actually enjoy it.

She could once again feel a severe headache creeping in. There was this feeling as to some important thing she was forgetting about the time she was in. Some event of utmost importance that she used to discuss with boys in detail. She decided to go through all the notes she had made while on the Horcrux hunt. Maybe something would strike. It was better to brush up about Voldemort's every little detail as she had to survive him again. Maybe she should address him as Riddle now, after all Voldemort from her world was dead and Riddle here was yet to become him.

She opened all her old journals and started reading them making a list of fresh notes. She tried to make a rough timeline from all the information that they had gathered, some from the memories Dumbledore had showed Harry, others from her own research. Hermione had done extensive research on Voldemort's past life since she thought that there is where they would get a clue regarding his horcruxes.

After another hour of horrendous reading and scribbling, Hermione sat back rubbing her temples. She now knew what was bothering her about this date. The answer only increased her migraine. She flicked her wand to clear the bed and switch off the light. She rubbed her eyes and laid down, closing her eyes hoping for a dreamless sleep.

The moonlight streaming through the windows caught the notes that she had sent over to the table. Highlighted in the middle in her neat handwriting was, " **August 1943 – Tom Riddle kills the Riddles.** "

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